Vaginal Cancer
Thursday
Vaginal cancer is Cancer (malignant) cells that forms in the tissues of the vagina (birth canal), it's a rare type of cancer. The vagina connects the cervix (the opening of the womb or uterus) and the vulva (the folds of skin around the opening to the vagina).
Vaginal cancer is more common in women 60 and older, young women also more likely to get it if they have a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or if their mother took diethylstilbestrol (DES) when she was pregnant. There are several types of vaginal cancer : squamous cell cancer (squamous carcinoma), adenocarcinoma, malignant melanomas, and sarcomas.
Most common type of vaginal cancer are :
- Squamous cell cancer. In these case, cancer cell begin on the epithelial lining of the vagina. Mostly it found in the women with range of 60 and 80 years old, and accounts for 85-90 percent of all vaginal cancers.
These kinds of cancers tend to occur in the upper area of the vagina near the cervix. Vaginal squamous cell carcinomas do not appear suddenly, they develop over a period of many years from precancerous changes called vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (abbreviated as VAIN).
- Adenocarcinoma. In these case, vaginal cancer usually occurs in young women who were exposed to Diethhystilbestrol while they were in their mother's womb. Especially between 1945 and 1970, Doctor was prescribed DES (diethylstilbestrol) to the pregnant women as a hormonal drug to keep them from miscarrying.
Symptoms of Vaginal Cancer are :
Bleeding or discharge not related to menstrual periods, Difficult or painful urination, Pain during intercourse, Pain in the pelvic area, Constipation, A mass that can be felt.
There are some of tests that used to diagnose vaginal cancer, The most often used tests are:
1. Pelvic examination of the uterus, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder and rectum, checking for any abnormalities such as tumors, lumps, or masses (i.e., may include colposcopy).
2. Pap test (also called Pap smear). The doctor gently scrapes the outside of the cervix and vagina and takes sample cells for testing.
3. Colposcopy (also called a colposcope). The doctor inserts an instrument with binocular magnifying lenses into the vagina and checks the vaginal walls and cervix.
4. Biopsy. This is a procedure in which tissue samples are removed from the vagina for examination under a microscope; to determine if cancer or other abnormal cells are present. The diagnosis of cancer is confirmed only by a biopsy.
Treatment for vaginal cancer most common are Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
posted by Cancer Disease @ 5.7.07,
